Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg, France

July 2012, taken with a Canon 200IS and then edited slightly

The train from Rome to Strasbourg was long and long and long, so I took some pictures of the rolling Swiss countryside as we passed through the Italy/Switzerland border.

We sat and ate hotdogs overlooking the river, marveling at our ability to work the international rail circuit.

We were slightly disconcerted at how silent the town was for much of the time we were there but eventually settled on the assumption that the Strasbourgians are just lazy.

The town reminded me of something out of Wind in the Willows, minus the abundance of talking animals.

The riverbank was plagued with wasps that followed us on our walk, yet somehow evaded every photograph I took.

I have yet to visit Germany but the German influences here were striking. It felt like a toy town.

Given the quaintness of the rest of the town, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg loomed from the town's centre and cast a somber, yet majestic shadow across the markets at its feet.

The beautiful cathedral was brimming with gothic architecture and art. Well worth a visit (and it's free!)

Votive candles burning brightly inside the cathedral.

For some reason, there were tons of shops whose walls were plastered in ticking cuckoo clocks. I found them a bit unnerving, especially the little wooden people exploding from clock faces every fifteen minute.